Cleft Lip and Palate

Each paper needs an abstract of up to 200 words structured with subheadings as follows: Objective(s), Methods, Results, Conclusion(s). Nomenclature, abbreviations and symbols: Authors should use HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) -approved gene symbols for human genes. Please see http://www.genenames.org. Symbols for human genes not included in the above database should be obtained prior to manuscript submission from: HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) Wellcome Trust Genome Campus Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK Fax: +44 (0) 1223 494 468 E-Mail: hgnc@genenames.org http://www.genenames.org Authors should use SI units and follow the guidelines for abbreviation and symbols of the IUPACIUB Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature. See Eur J Biochem 1970;15:203–208, corrected 1972;25:1, and for bases in nucleic acid sequences, Eur J Biochem 1985;150:1–5. 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Supplementary Material Supplementary material is restricted to additional data that are not necessary for the scientific integrity and conclusions of the paper. Please note that all supplementary files will undergo editorial review and should be submitted together with the original manuscript. The Editors reserve the right to limit the scope and length of the supplementary material. Supplementary material must meet produc-

Cleft lip and palate is a complex, multifactorial and relatively common craniofacial disorder, which arises because of disrupted facial development in the embryo. The manifestations of this condition can be life-long and associated with signifi cant morbidity. In the last decade, progress has been made in our understanding of how clefts of the lip and palate arise in human populations, and laboratory studies are beginning to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control development of the lip and palate. In addition, advances in surgical and medical care, and long-term rehabilitation are improving outcome and quality of life for affected individuals. Written by international experts in their respective fi elds, this publication covers in detail the epidemiology and genetic basis of cleft lip and palate, the developmental biology of lip and palate formation and provides current concepts in the management of patients aff ected by this condition. Thus, the book provides a contemporary overview of the epidemiology, aetiology and treatment of cleft lip and palate, and will be of use to a wide range of individuals, including students, biologists and clinicians, who have an interest in this subject.

Guidelines for Authors Scope and Vision
The scope of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy is fetal medicine in its broadest sense, including basic science and pathophysiological issues, prenatal diagnosis, clinical management and fetal therapy. The journal's main goal is to provide useful information and new insights into fetal diagnosis and therapy in the form of original research, reviews and relevant clinical cases and images. Our vision is to become a journal of reference for the multidisciplinary audience of professionals involved in clinical practice and research in fetal medicine. Authors should ensure that their work complies with all regulations laid down by their state or community and should have obtained the necessary informed consent. Neither the editors nor the publishers will accept any responsibility in the case of neglect or avoidance of these rules.

Submission
Manuscripts written in English should be submitted online along with the names, postal and e-mail addresses of at least four experts in the appropriate area of research. Selected scientist(s) will be invited to act as referee(s). Referees suggested should not be from the same institution as the author and should have expert knowledge of the subject.

Conditions
All manuscripts are subject to editorial review. Manuscripts are received with the explicit understanding that they are not under simultaneous consideration by any other publication. Submission of an article for publication implies transfer of the copyright from the author to the publisher upon acceptance. Accepted papers become the permanent property of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy and may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the publisher. It is the author's responsibility to obtain permission to reproduce illustrations, tables, etc. from other publications.

Categories of Manuscripts
The journal is structured into five categories.

Original Papers
Authors are invited to submit their research to the journal. Papers will be classified into four areas of interest.
• Basic Science and Pathophysiology • Prenatal Diagnosis • Clinical Fetal Medicine • Fetal Therapy Reviews and Mini-Reviews Reviews on specific questions or topics which are felt to be of interest to the majority of readers; normally, but not exclusively, on clinical issues. They should be concise reviews or mini-reviews which give evidence and provide an answer to a well-defined aspect or question in a particular area. These reviews are normally invited but suggestions for reviews will also be considered, particularly systematic reviews accompanying a case report or case series if they are deemed to be timely and of high quality. Accepted reviews are not subject to page charges.

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Letters are encouraged if they directly concern articles previously published in this journal or clinical subjects related to the matters discussed. The editor reserves the right to submit copies of such letters to the authors of the articles concerned prior to publication in order to permit them to respond in the same issue of the journal. Letters on general scientific or medical subjects in fetal medicine are also welcome.

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Mini-Reviews
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Images in Fetal Medicine
Images must be accompanied by a brief text, structured in the same way as a Case Report, but considerably shorter in length, and limited to the essential. Ideally, there should be three references (five is the maximum number allowed). Where appropriate a Summary Points box can be provided to summarize the novel insights.

Letters to the Editor
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Disclaimer:
The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements in the journal is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements. The Congress will include: • Eurofetus meeting on Fetal Therapy. • Session on Maternal Medicine. • Latest developments in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidies.
• Presentations and discussions on advances in screening, diagnosis and management of fetal abnormalities, preterm delivery, preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. • Courses on the ultrasound diagnosis of fetal abnormalities.
The topics will be covered by leading international experts and young researchers. The certainty and uncertainty of one's fate are discussed from both methodological and epidemiological perspectives, using examples of diseases for which treatment and prognosis have dramatically changed. Despite profound insights into the human genome, personalized genetically tailored medicine still lies in the future. Religious, spiritual and philoso phical dimensions are discussed, as are the ways in which they may help people cope with these new insights into their future, e.g. the promise of an afterlife. This publication aims to bridge the different fields dealing with this area by addressing the challenges faced and encouraging dialogue. It will be of interest to all readers who deal with ethical problems of prognosis, particularly in medicine, as well as to theologians and sociologists.

The registration fee which includes meals and social events is €400.
Based on the symposium 'GenEthics and Religion' (Basel, Switzerland, May 2008), this volume examines the role religion can play in establishing ethical guidelines to protect human life in the face of rapid advances in biology and gene technology. It does so with contributions by philosophers, theologians, human geneticists, and several bioethicists representing the Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist perspectives. The essays illustrating a diversity of views and expressing the problems and self-critical reflectiveness of religious ethicists are brought up to date and discuss the importance of religious ethics in society's discourse on gene technology. Please join us in Orlando this February to learn, network with colleagues and other industry experts, and also earn CME / CNE credits.
NEO: The Conference for Neonatology addresses cutting edge, yet practical aspects of newborn medicine. Educational sessions are conducted by many of the foremost experts, who address neonatal-perinatal topics for which they have become renowned.
Specialty Review in Neonatology, the leading review of its type in the country, is an intensive and comprehensive review of neonatal medicine. This course is an invaluable learning experience for those preparing for certifying examinations, as well as new or current fellows-in-training seeking an outstanding fundamental pathophysiology course in neonatalperinatal medicine.

Topics include:
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The easiest way to order: w w w.karger.com/hrp This first special topic issue of Hormone Research in Paediatrics is completely dedicated to Genetics of Growth, a rapidly developing area of paediatric endocrinology associated with the stormy progress of genetic techniques. The topics covered in this issue include the role of zinc in the process of secretory granule biogenesis in somatotrophs; novel mutations in various parts of the growth hormone-IGF axis, including GH1, GHR, IGFALS and IGF1R; discussion of a website containing clinical, biochemical and genetic information about presently known genes in this axis; clinical characteristics of children with SHOX defects and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, and association analysis and pharmacogenetics in relation to growth and growth response to growth hormone. The papers illustrate that in this fast moving field close collaboration between clinicians and geneticists, and between paediatric endocrinologists around the world, is necessary to solve diagnostic problems in short or tall individuals, and to get a better insight into the phenotypic spectrum of the genetic causes thereof.

Contents
Editorial: Czernichow, P. Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome are two of the most common developmental disorders of the nervous system in humans. Now that animal models can reliably reproduce many of the phenotypes of these disorders, it has become possible to elucidate the nature of the biological mechanisms that are involved in these two syndromes and new therapeutic options have potentially become available. Highlighting the past, present and future research and the treatment of Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, this special topic issue provides a collection of primary research and review articles by leading experts in the fi eld. The broad scope of the articles will be of great interest to both researchers and clinicians in the fi eld of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Contents
The

How to prevent and manage low birth weight
The easiest way to order: w w w.karger.com/nniws Growth and nutrition during the fetal period and the first 24 months after birth are important determinants of development in early childhood. Optimal nutrition and health care of both the mother and infant during these first 1,000 days of an infant's life are closely linked to growth, learning potential and neurodevelopment, in turn affecting long-term outcomes.
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